In a known printing system, a user employs a host computer to create print data upon attaching password information (identification information) and to transmit the print data to a printer so that confidential printing can be performed. In this case, the printing apparatus is capable of printing the print data only when the user enters the correct password information that was attached to the print data.
If the printing apparatus is a shared printer connected to a network, such a printing system is useful when a user does not wish another person to see a printout or when a document having confidential items or the like that must not be revealed to other parties is to be printed.
With a conventional printing system of this kind, however, the secrecy of a printout is maintained but such information as the name of the confidential document and the name of the transmitting party is displayed on the control panel of the printing apparatus. The result is a decline in confidentiality regarding displayed document and user names.